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Nrreo STATES PATEN einen.

JOSEPH H. ATWATER, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

NEWSPAPER-FILE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 40,545, dated November10, 1863; antedated October 29, 1863.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J osEPH H. ATWATER, of the city and county ofProvidence, and State ot' Rhode Island, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Files for News and other Papers; andIdo herebydeclare that the same are described and represented in the followingspecifications and drawing.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my improvements, Iwill proceed to describe'their construction and operation, referring tothe drawing.

The nature of my invention and improvements in tiles for news and otherpapers oonsists in making one or both of the rods which hold the news orother papers largest in the middle, tapering gradually toward each end,so that when they are clasped together at the ends they act as springson the paper between them 5 also, in encircling the rods toward each endbeyond the-paper clamped between them with an elastic band or strap,which will stretch and accommodate the gradual increase of papers iiledbetween the rods.

In the accompanying dra-wing of my improved flle for news and otherpapers, A is a rod, made of some strong or tough wood about lhree'feetlong and halt' an inch or more in diameter, and provided with one, two,or more pointed metal pins or spurs, as shown by dotted lines at B B.The shanks of these spurs are iirmly fastened in the rod A.

Gis a wooden rod about twenty-seven inches in length and half an inch indiameter in the middle, gradually tapering toward the ends totive-siXteenths of an inch in diameter and terminating in a pointedspheroidal knob at each end, as shown in the drawing. This rod C isperforated to receive the spurs B B after they pass through the papersfiled. To clasp these rods together I make two elastic bands, ot'india-rubber or other material, and apply them around the rods, as shownin the drawing, and these bands D D may be fastened to the rod A, byscrews, pins, or. staples, to hold them in their proper places. Toseparate the rods force one of the bands'D over the knob on the rod Cand raise the rod, lay the paper to be led over the rod A on the spurs BB, then press the rod O onto the spurs, which pass through the paper,and forc'e the band D over the end of the rod back again and it holdsthe paper rmly.

The longest rod may be made of a uniform size from end to end ortapering from the middle toward one or both ends, as may be preferred,either with or without knobs at the ends, and the rods may be of suchlength as to adapt them to the paper filed.

I believe 1 have described and represented my improvements in les fornews and other papers so as to enable any person skilled lin the art tomake and use them without further invention or experiment.

I claiml. Making one or both of the rods largest in the middle andtapering gradually toward one or both ends, so that when they areclasped together at the ends they act as springs on the paper betweenthem.

2. Encircling the rods toward each end beyond the paper clamped betweenthem with elastic bands or straps, substantially as described.

JOSEPH H. ATWATER. Witnesses:

SIMON S. LosHAM, WILLIAM H. GREENE.

